• Specific Year
    Any

SUPREME COURT ACT 1986

Table of Provisions

PART 1--PRELIMINARY

  • 1 Purpose  
  • 2 Commencement  
  • 3 Definitions  
  • 4 Abolition of distinction between court and chambers  
  • 5 Criminal procedure  

PART 2--SITTINGS, POWERS AND PROCEDURES

Division 1--Sittings

Division 2--Court of Appeal[8]

Division 2A--Trial Division[9]

Division 2B--Costs Court

Division 3--Powers

  • 20 Offence to publish certain information concerning proceedings  
  • 20A Power to act in cases relating to rates and taxes[10]  
  • 22 Execution of instruments by order of Court  
  • 23 Attachment of earnings  
  • 24 Costs to be in the discretion of Court  
  • 24A Mediation[11]  
  • 24B Court may issue or transmit court documents electronically  

Division 3B--Immunities and protections

  • 24D Immunity and protection of Judge of Court extends to administrative functions  
  • 24E Immunity and protection of Associate Judges  
  • 24F Immunity and protection of specified court officers  
  • 24G Protection of assessors  

Division 4--Court Rules

  • 25 Power to make Rules[12]  
  • 26 Manner of making Rules  
  • 27 Disallowance of Rules  
  • 27A Protection of special referees, mediators and arbitrators  

Division 5--Council of Judges

  • 28 Council of Judges  

Division 5A--Powers of Chief Justice

Division 6--Professional development and training

  • 28A Professional development and training  

PART 3--CONCURRENT ADMINISTRATION OF LAW AND EQUITY

  • 29 Law and equity to be concurrently administered  
  • 30 Power to stay proceedings  

PART 4--INFERIOR COURTS

PART 4A--GROUP PROCEEDING

Division 1--Preliminary

  • 33A Definitions  
  • 33B Application  

Division 2--Commencement of group proceeding

Division 3--Notices

Division 4--Judgment, etc.

Division 5--Appeals

Division 6--Miscellaneous

PART 5--MISCELLANEOUS RULES OF LAW

Division 1--General

  • 36 Declaratory judgments  
  • 37 Injunctions and receivers  
  • 38 Damages in addition to or in place of other remedies  
  • 39 Foreign law  
  • 40 Crown payments to be subject to attachment  
  • 41 Failure to prosecute not a bar to civil remedy  
  • 42 Property available to satisfy judgment debt  
  • 43 Standard time in Victoria  
  • 44 Meaning of month in documents  

Division 2--Vessels

  • 45 Rule as to division of liability for damage or loss  
  • 46 Liability for loss of life or personal injuries  
  • 47 Right of contribution  

Division 3--Fires

  • 48 Proceeding does not lie against person on whose land fire accidentally begins  

Division 4--Contracts of minors

  • 49 Certain contracts by minors to be void  
  • 50 No proceeding to be brought on ratification of minor's contract  
  • 51 Avoiding contract for payment of loan advanced during minority  

Division 4A--Administration of children's funds

  • 51A Court orders relating to administration of children's funds  

Division 5--Sureties, co-contractors and co-debtors

  • 52 Surety discharging liability to be entitled to securities  

Division 6--Apportionment

  • 53 Definitions  
  • 54 Rents etc. to accrue from day to day and be apportionable  
  • 55 Time when apportioned part is to be payable  
  • 56 Recovery of apportioned parts  

Division 7--Interest

  • 57 Any interest may be contracted to be paid  
  • 58 Interest to be allowed when debts or sums certain recovered  
  • 59 Damages in nature of interest  
  • 60 Interest in proceedings for debt or damages  

Division 8--Contempt of court

  • 61 Restoration of common law relating to contempt of court  

PART 6--MISCELLANEOUS POWERS

Division 1--Determinations without oral hearing

Division 2--Delivery of documents

Division 3--Assistance of assessors and legal practitioners

  • 77 Assessors  
  • 78 Opinion of a legal practitioner  

Division 4--Proceeding for recovery of land

Division 5--Relief from forfeiture

  • 85 Relief against forfeiture for non-payment of rent  

Division 6--Arrest in pending proceedings

  • 86 Arrest on mesne process abolished  
  • 87 Court may order arrest  
  • 88 Security to be given by defendant  
  • 89 Control of the Court  
  • 90 Making of order to arrest  
  • 91 Defendant may apply for relief  
  • 92 Endorsement on order  
  • 93 Restrictions on execution of order  
  • 94 Execution on a Sunday  
  • 95 Privilege from arrest  
  • 96 Misdescription of defendant  
  • 97 Costs  
  • 98 Discharge of defendant  
  • 99 Date of arrest  
  • 100 Fees  

Division 7--Interest on judgment

Division 8--Wards of Court

  • 102 Minors to become wards only by order  

Division 9--Quashing by-laws

PART 7--ASSOCIATE JUDGES AND OFFICERS OF THE COURT

Division 1--Appointments of Associate Judges

Division 1A--Reserve Associate Judges

Division 1B--Appointments of other officers

  • 106 Power to employ chief executive officer, prothonotary etc.  
  • 107 Certain office holders to be deputies  
  • 108 Powers of deputies  
  • 109 Appointment of bailiffs and assistant bailiffs  

Division 2--Functions of Associate Judges

Division 2A--Judicial registrars

Division 2B--Registrar of Court of Appeal and Registrar of Criminal Appeals

Division 3--The sheriff

  • 114 Definition  
  • 115 Functions of sheriff  
  • 119 Duties on arrest of civil debtors  
  • 120 Liability for wrongful imprisonment  
  • 123 Punishment for misconduct  

Division 4--General

PART 8--TRANSITIONALS AND SAVINGS

  • 139 Transitional and savings  
  • 139A Transitional provision  
  • 140 Transitional provision—Courts and Tribunals Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2000  
  • 141 Transitional provision—Justice Legislation (Amendment) Act 2005  
  • 142 References  
  • 142A Regulations dealing with transitional matters—Courts Legislation Amendment (Associate Judges) Act 2008  
  • 143 Masters to become Associate Judges  
  • 144 Pension entitlements  
  • 145 Pending matters—Taxing Master  
  • 146 Pending matters—other courts and VCAT  
  • 147 Power to resolve transitional difficulties in proceedings  
  • 148 Regulations dealing with transitional matters—Courts Legislation Amendment (Costs Court and Other Matters) Act 2008  
  • 149 Transitional provisions—Courts Legislation Miscellaneous Amendments Act 2010  
  • 150 Regulations dealing with transitional matters—Courts Legislation Miscellaneous Amendments Act 2010  
  • 152 Savings—Open Courts Act 2013  
  • 153 Transitional—Courts and Other Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2013  
  • 154 Transitional provisions—Courts Legislation Miscellaneous Amendments Act 2014  
  • 155 Power to resolve transitional difficulties in proceeding  
  • 156 Transitional and savings provisions—Justice Legislation Amendment (Family Violence Protection and Other Matters) Act 2018  
  • 156A Transitional provisions—COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) Act 2020  
  • ENDNOTES

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